An Admirer
by dream vs nightmare
Summary: The second kiss may be the one that saves his life, but the second cup of cocoa is still from her son. Emma/Graham AU.


Or, the one where Graham doesn't die and Henry ships Gremma hard.

* * *

"What do you remember?" She asked, almost afraid of the answer. She could see a fallen tear glistening on his cheek as he stepped towards her again, hands cupping both sides of her face.

"I remember the man I was in another life. And it scares me some but I think I remember what it means to be free, too," He said in a whisper as another tear slipped down his cheek.

"Thank you," She murmured before standing up on her tiptoes and pressing a lingering kiss on his forehead. He closed her eyes at the same time she closed hers, so neither of them saw the silvery magic that flowed all around the room at the gesture.

This kiss was different. This kiss was True.

And this kiss was the one that saved his life.

But they didn't know that yet.

Later, the pad of his thumb brushed against her palm as he handed her the set of darts (it helped pass time between patrolling the sleepy streets of town) and his eyes searched hers as if it ask if that was okay. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth when she realized that yeah, maybe it was. Their shifts were long past over by the third round of their game. Though hers ran a touch later than his, he still lingered in the sheriff's office to give her a few suggestions on her stance. It was all wrong, apparently.

After the game was over (and she kicked his ass at it no matter what he muttered about incorrect stances), he asked her if she'd like him to walk her to her car. Her mind wandered back to that first night they'd met, really met, when he'd leaned up against her Bug looking like for all the world, he belonged there. Heat pools in her stomach when she remembers how his lips had curved into a smirk when he'd suggested she stay the night. She hadn't been lying when she'd told her roommate that one night stands were as far as she ever goes. But there was just something so infuriately good and honest about this one that she couldn't be sure if she'd be able to turn him away after that first night. So she just shoved her hands in her pockets and said that no, she wasn't looking for someone to hold her door open for her. She could do it herself. He nodded, said he'd keep his distance. As she shrugged on her jacket and walked out of the precinct, she told him that she hoped he didn't stray too far.

When she fell asleep in the loft of Mary-Margaret's apartment later that night (closer to morning, really, but she'd taken the long way home to clear her head), it was with the smallest hint of a smile on her face.

"Promise you won't get mad at me?" Henry murmured as he pushed open the door to the diner the next afternoon.

"Promise? Oh, no. I'm not promising you anything, kid. What'd you do?" Emma asked as the two ducked inside to beat the rain.

"I uh...I think I forgot my book in the car." He said, looking to her with a sheepish grin on his face.

She rolled her eyes and tossed him her car keys, saying that his mom would kill them both if he wasn't back in five minutes. Her gaze lingered on him as he disappeared out the door and into the rain; she turned away to find a table only when she saw that he'd made it to the Bug alright.

But unfortunately for her, it looked like the whole town had had the same idea as they did. And try as she might, she couldn't snag the two of them a booth for the life of her. It looked like even the tables around Mr. Gold were taken, and that was definitely saying something. The guy wasn't the sort to attract crowds - he was one to draw them far away.

Emma bit her lip. If she couldn't find a table here, then she wasn't sure what else to do. She hadn't really had the time to get Henry a Valentine's Day card between her shifts at the station, and she didn't know if she should buy him chocolate or candy. She'd thought that taking him out to lunch would be the perfect way to make up for the lack of presents - but now it seemed like even that just wasn't going to happen.

She turned towards the exit with a heavy-hearted sigh. And there was the sheriff, leaning against the open door as he held Henry's book in his hands. He really needed to stop doing that. It was too damn attractive. Her head cleared when he gave her the same sheepish smile her son had just minutes before.

"You set me up!" She so wanted to be angry with them, with both of them.

"How else was I supposed to get you to agree to this?" There was something so soft and sweet and ineffably Graham in his voice that she couldn't really be angry (and that did piss her off a bit, even if her voice didn't exactly show it).

"Get me to agree to what?"

"To agree to go on a date with you!" Henry said as he reappeared from the rain, ducking under the sheriff's arm to take back his book. Before she could even make a noise of protest, the kid lead the two of them to a table that she swore wasn't open a few minutes ago. And...covered with rose petals?

"Aww, but kid, today was supposed to be our day to-"

He shook his head, smiling. "It's okay. I'm meeting up with some kids from school to make Mrs. Blanchard a Valentine's Day card."

Graham clapped the boy on the shoulder as he moved to sit down. "I'm sure it'll look great. Have fun, okay?"

Henry nodded and, reunited with his book, ran off in the direction of the door as the sheriff called, "And don't give her too much grief!" over his shoulder.

And then Graham turned his gaze back to Emma and her breath got momentarily caught in her throat; she couldn't remember his eyes ever being this blue, and she found herself drowning in them. Completely and totally drowning.

"I'm sorry about all that." He murmured as he spread his hands out on the table. "The lad was worried about you being alone today."

"I am not alone today, I have-"

He gave her a pointed look. "Henry?"

She sighed and shook her head, smiling just a touch. "Okay, okay. So maybe I do need some company besides my son."

"Ah, that's the spirit." Laughter shone in his eyes when he leaned forward to whisper, "But I know you're not here to flirt. So don't worry. I can manage to do enough of that for us both."

"You can, can you?" She looked up at him through her lashes, daring to flirt back. "Because I'd say you're doing a pretty god job at it, Sheriff."

Ruby made her way to their table, sliding twin mugs of cinnamon hot cocoa down in front of them. And just as Emma had done a few days before, she blinked up at the waitress and murmured, "I did not order that."

And just as she'd done before, Ruby smiled as she bit down on the blue ballpoint pen in her mouth and said, "It appears you have an admirer."

Her gaze shifted to the man sitting across from her as if to ask seriously? again? But he held up his hands in defense as the dark-haired waitress walked away to go tend on the other tables. "I swear, it truly wasn't me."

Emma rolled her eyes, smiling as her thoughts drifted to a boy with a striped scarf and a book of fairy tales. "Oh, I think I've got an idea who did this."

The sheriff looked up at her over the rim of his mug as he brought it to his lips. "I do, too. And for that, I'll always be grateful."

"So will I, Sheriff." The words were out of her mouth before she could take them back, and she found that she wasn't racing to do just that. He was going to have one hell of a time lowering that wall of hers, but she couldn't say she minded letting him try. Because as she gazed up at Graham between sips of her cocoa, she felt like for the first time in a long time (maybe ever, really), keeping out pain wasn't wasn't worth the risk of keeping out love.


End file.
